Sonos Puts Google in Court Over Smart Speaker Tech

Smart speaker manufacturer Sonos has filed
a suit against Google, alleging the company of stealing its technology for use
in their own smart speaker systems. Two federal lawsuits were presented on the
7th January 2020 that called for the halt of all sales of Google’s smart
speaker as well as monetary compensation for the damage caused to Sonos’
business thus far. The suits were filed in both the US International Trade
Commission and the US District Court in Los Angeles.

Using Patents Unfairly

The suit alleges that Google had access to
Sonos’ patents thanks to a 2013 agreement that allowed the company’s speakers
to integrate with Google Play Music. After the search giant managed to get
those patents, they engineered the technology into their own speakers, allowing
these hardware devices to operate simultaneously in multiple rooms from a
single control device. The suit alleges that Google didn’t merely copy Sonos’
patented technology, but also flooded the market by introducing subsidized
versions of the company’s products and taking business away from them. Google
denied the allegations and stated that they were disappointed that Sonos could
not reach an agreement with them without engaging in legal action.

More Fuel for the Antitrust Fire

In recent months, the US government has
engaged in several antitrust probes into the search engine giant, among other
companies that the government refers to under the blanket term of “Big
Tech.” While the authorities have not yet passed judgment on any of these
cases, this behavior is a classic case of a large company utilizing its vast
financial resources to undercut the competition by creating products at a loss
to monopolize the market. If this turns out to be accurate, then this is a
clear example of Google’s behavior in a way that can be considered going
against the antitrust laws. It remains to be seen whether the suit will make it
to trial, or if Google will choose to settle out of court, to avoid further
scrutiny of their practices.